Transcript Highlights:

• Would you like to close? I appreciate that close. Okay, all right. The unicorn close. I like it.
• Would you like to close?
• Would you like to close?
• Would you like to close? Yes.
• Would you like to close? Yes. I just want to acknowledge that. like to close.

Summary: The committee heard several bills, with most drawing support after amendments or ongoing stakeholder negotiations. SB 29, by Senator Laird, would extend a sunset on the law allowing pain-and-suffering claims to survive a plaintiff’s death; supporters, including a family member describing a medical negligence case, labor groups, consumer advocates, and disability and elder organizations, argued it prevents defendants from running out the clock, while hospitals, medical groups, and business organizations warned of higher costs and added liability. After extensive debate about data collection, settlement reporting, and the impact on health care access, the bill passed to Appropriations on a divided vote. SB 294, by Senator Reyes and presented by Senator Laird, would require employers to notify a worker’s emergency contact if the worker is arrested or detained and would create a template to inform employees of state and federal labor rights. Labor and worker advocates said the bill would help workers understand and enforce their rights amid weakened federal enforcement; there was no opposition on file, and the bill passed unanimously to Appropriations. SB 697 would modernize water-rights adjudication by allowing the State Water Board to use technology instead of requiring in-person field investigations; with no opposition, it also passed unanimously. The committee also advanced SB 37 on attorney advertising, SB 645 on peremptory challenges in civil cases, SB 303 on bias-mitigation trainings in public workplaces, and SB 464 on expanding pay-data reporting for specified state workers. SB 37 drew support from consumer and legal groups but concerns from Walker Advertising about joint advertising; members said negotiations were ongoing, and the bill passed. SB 645 would extend anti-bias jury-selection rules to certain civil rights cases; criminal-defense and defense groups said they were close to agreement, and the bill passed. SB 303 and SB 464 were both amended to narrow scope and moved forward after several opponents shifted to neutral or removed opposition. The committee also approved a consent calendar of additional bills, all sent to Appropriations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Clerk will close the roll and tally the votes. Ayes 62, noes 0.
• We'll close. All those who desire to vote. The clerk will close the roll, tally the votes.
• This bill, AB 597, will actually close those gaps.
• Clerk will close the roll and tally the votes. Ayes 52, noes 8.
• The clerk will close the roll. Tally the votes. There are 74 co-authors.

Summary: The Assembly convened after a quorum call, prayer, and pledge, then took up a series of procedural motions and a large third-reading file focused heavily on housing, wildfire recovery, insurance, and related regulatory changes. Early actions included a successful motion to place Senate Concurrent Resolution 1 on the third-reading file, followed by a unanimous vote on SB 26, a cleanup measure related to lemon-law civil discovery procedures and automaker opt-outs from the AB 1755 framework. The chamber then moved through a package of urgency bills tied to the January 2025 Los Angeles-area wildfires and broader housing affordability concerns. Measures approved included AB 311 allowing displaced tenants to temporarily house wildfire victims and pets, AB 299 extending hotel/motel/short-term rental stays beyond 30 days for disaster-displaced families, AB 226 giving the California Fair Plan access to bond financing in catastrophic-loss scenarios, AB 253 allowing third-party plan checks when local review exceeds 30 days, AB 301 aligning state permitting timelines with local deadlines, AB 306 imposing a six-year pause on new residential building-code updates, AB 462 exempting certain ADUs in Los Angeles County coastal zones from coastal development permits, AB 493 requiring interest to be paid to homeowners on insurance proceeds held by lenders, and AB 597 tightening rules on public adjuster solicitation, fees, and contract transparency. Each of these urgency bills passed, generally with strong bipartisan support and mostly unanimous or near-unanimous votes. The Assembly also approved several non-urgency measures, including AB 293 on groundwater transparency and board disclosure, AB 251 on elder abuse litigation standards when evidence is intentionally destroyed, AB 59 removing a sunset on Reclamation District 108’s hydropower authority, AB 417 streamlining EIFD and CRIA financing tools, and AB 312 updating procedures for agricultural theft proceeds. In addition, ACR 6 was adopted by voice vote, recognizing Black April Memorial Month and the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, with extensive remarks from Assembly Member Ta and support from other members. The consent calendar was adopted, and the body later heard adjournment-in-memory tributes for David Myers and Olivia Guerrero before adjourning to April 3, 2025. Several vote changes were announced after adjournment, including changes on AB 251 and AB 417.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is a closed process.
• </c> process or should be be the very closed process or should be be the very closed exclusionary<02:
• </c><02:37:27.200><c> process</c> familiar with it it is a closed process familiar with it it is a closed
• </c><02:46:32.840><c> on</c> uh in order to try to stay as close on uh in order to try to stay as close
• </c><03:27:01.960><c> this</c> 358 seeing no one I am closing this 358 seeing no one I am closing this

Committee: House Health, Human Services & Elderly Affairs

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's like, isn't the application closing within the next month or so?
• Our primary project is a 235-megawatt wind farm.
• Our primary project is a 235-megawatt wind farm, and what makes this project unique is that it's not
• We focus on three primary priorities.
• We are working closely with our federal, state, and tribal partners.

Committee: Joint Tribal and State Relations Committee

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Isn't the application closing within the next month or so?
• Our primary project is a 235-megawatt wind farm.
• Our primary project is a 235-megawatt wind farm, and what makes this project unique is that it's not
• We focus on three primary priorities.
• We're working closely with our federal, state, and tribal partners.

Summary: The Tribal and State Relations Committee met at Standing Rock with tribal council members, state legislators, and agency representatives to discuss state-tribal coordination and local priorities. Early discussion focused on process concerns, including the short agenda time and the need for better communication, more advance notice, and more relevant state department staff at future meetings. Tribal leaders asked for lists of state tribal liaisons and bills affecting tribes, and state members said they would follow up, share grant and deadline information, and plan another meeting in Bismarck with program experts and agency staff. A major portion of the meeting centered on health, child welfare, law enforcement, housing, infrastructure, and sovereignty issues. Tribal speakers said rural health transformation funding and other state programs often do not fit direct-service tribes or IHS-funded systems, and they raised concerns about Medicaid, ICWA, foster care delays, human service zones, housing shortages, and the placement of Native children off-reservation. They also discussed missing and murdered Indigenous people, search-and-rescue cooperation, cross-deputization, extradition and banishment ordinances, and the need for stronger law enforcement partnerships that respect tribal sovereignty. Other concerns included poor roads, water and sewer needs in Sioux County communities, census accuracy, and the impact of data centers and other development on water and health. Economic development and regulatory issues were also discussed. Standing Rock representatives raised concerns about charitable gaming and e-pull tabs, saying the machines function like Class III gaming and have harmed tribal revenue while spreading into local businesses. They also described problems with county-issued fireworks permits and state/county liquor licensing rules that they said undermine tribal authority within reservation boundaries. In response, legislators said the committee would continue to look at these issues, and one member suggested possible legislation such as limiting e-tabs near tribal lands. The committee also heard from Joseph McNeil of Sage Development Authority about a 235-megawatt wind project on tribal, allotted, and fee land; he said federal permitting delays have stalled the project and asked for state support to help move it forward. The meeting concluded with a presentation from Dave Archambo of Wojou, a nonprofit focused on land regeneration, buffalo, food sovereignty, cultural programming, and youth wellness. He described the organization’s work on buffalo processing, gardening, fishing, hunting, language, and arts programs, and framed it as a response to historical trauma and community healing. The committee then broke for lunch and planned to resume with the Wojou presentation after the recess.

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> We're closing that door. Correct.
• &gt;&gt; We're<00:16:25.680><c> closing</c><00:16:26.160><c> that</c><00:16:26.399><c> door.
• </c><00:16:27.360><c> We</c> &gt;&gt; We're closing that door. Correct.
• We &gt;&gt; We're closing that door. Correct. We are.<00:16:28.000><c> We</c><00:16:28.240><c> are.
• </c> group without an AOD is a primary group without an AOD is a primary diagnosis<00:27:29.919><c> of

Committee: Senate Licensing & Occupations

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I closed my eyes and I held my daughter really tight.
• Chairman, I will close on this. I have just a few seconds left.
• I need you to close. Sorry. They still can go after the companies for those reasons.
• If not, we'll close public testimony and leave the bill pending.
• My primary focus is on the distribution of the surplus funds.

Bills: SB39 , SB2129 , SB2141 , SB2246 , SB2323 , SB2439 , SB2722 , SB 39

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: commercial motor vehicle, truck liability, motor carrier, trucking, civil liability, respondeat superior, negligent entrustment, negligent maintenance, negligent loading, negligent repair, bifurcated trial, exemplary damages, punitive damages, personal injury, collision, employer liability, vicarious liability, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Texas tort reform, commercial truck accident

Transcript Highlights:

• We're getting close to about a year and a half now.
• So I think they're looking at another close to $18 million that they need total.
• It's going to be close to three decades, yes, Mr. Chairman.
• Chair, Senator Campos, yes, we would work closely with the.
• Chair, just maybe to close unless there's further discussion. Just a reminder: this says draft.

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Padilla, would you like to close? Thank you very much. Mr.
• Seeing none, Senator, would you like to close?
• Senator McNerney, did I already ask you to close? I did not.
• It's your primary mechanism.
• Senator Cabaldon, would you like to close?

Committee: Senate Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer Protection

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on AI, privacy, and surveillance. SB 903 would prohibit AI from independently providing psychotherapy or presenting itself as a licensed mental health provider, require disclosure and informed consent, and reinforce confidentiality and privacy protections for therapy records. Supporters, including a mother and therapist whose son died by suicide after extensive chats with ChatGPT, argued the bill is needed to prevent harmful, crisis-related interactions. Behavioral health groups and labor/privacy organizations supported the measure, while TechNet, the California Medical Association, and the California Hospital Association opposed unless amended, saying the bill could restrict useful clinical tools and create conflicts around triage, screening, and data use. The committee passed SB 903 4-0 to Appropriations, with members noting the need for further work on definitions and implementation. SB 1119 would create a broader framework for chatbot safety for children, including annual risk assessments, crisis response protocols, default child protections, parental controls, notice and time limits, restrictions on advertising and use of children’s data, incident reporting, audits, and a private right of action. The author and supporters again cited the death of Adam Raine as evidence that chatbots can reinforce suicidal ideation and isolate children. Common Sense Media and several labor and privacy groups supported the bill. CalChamber, TechNet, the California State Sheriffs’ Association, and other industry and local government groups opposed unless amended, raising concerns about vague standards, overlap with SB 243, prescriptive design mandates, and litigation risk. The committee approved SB 1119 4-0 to Judiciary, with amendments to be taken there. The committee also heard SB 1013, which would tighten rules for automated license plate reader data by requiring DOJ audits, employee training, and a 30-day retention limit for most data. Supporters said the bill responds to documented misuse and over-retention of data that mostly belongs to innocent drivers. Law enforcement groups opposed, arguing the retention limit would hinder investigations and reduce the usefulness of ALPRs in serious or delayed cases. The bill passed 4-1 to Appropriations. SB 1292, a local control bill for six cities, would allow camera or sensor-based enforcement of curb and loading zones, with a human reviewing each violation before issuance. Supporters said it would help cities manage congestion and unsafe blocking of bike lanes and loading zones; privacy advocates warned about expanding automated surveillance. It passed 4-1 to Appropriations. Finally, the committee heard SB 1101, which would require higher education institutions to notify students, faculty, and staff when personal information is shared with federal agencies and limit disclosure to what is legally required. Supporters framed it as a transparency and anti-doxing measure in response to recent federal investigations and subpoenas; there was no opposition testimony. The bill passed 5-0 to Appropriations. The committee then began hearing SB 951, the California Worker Technological Displacement Act, which would require advance notice and reporting when employers displace workers due to technology and give displaced workers priority for openings, but the transcript cuts off before the hearing concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:35:49.200><c> issue</c><00:35:49.599><c> the</c> &gt;&gt; So, is the the primary issue the &gt
• ;&gt; So, is the the primary issue the resources<00:35:50.320><c> necessary</c><00:35:50.960><c> to</
• I just wanted to inquire as to when is it time to go to two separate... >> We're getting really close
• That closes the exact session on 580. method and uh I think that Claremont method and uh I think that
• That closes the exact session on 580, and that will close what we're doing today.

Committee: House Education Funding

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Education Funding Committee met in executive session and reviewed several previously heard bills, but focused its discussion on SB 586 and SB 580. The chair explained that SB 586 would require school districts and school administrative units to publish audit reports after the fiscal year, and that an amendment, 1472H, had been prepared to replace the relevant audit/reporting section. The amendment would add SAUs to the reporting entities, expand the contents of audits to include items such as employee lists, pay, benefits, and pension liabilities, and change the timing so audits are submitted nine months after the fiscal year end, followed by a three-month Department of Education review and then a further correction period before any grant funding could be withheld. The amendment would also require the reports to be posted in searchable electronic form on the web. Committee members discussed whether the bill’s “non-compliance” language referred only to incomplete submissions or also to audit findings, and several members raised concerns about whether the Department of Education had the staff and authority to take on this role, whether the existing DOE25 process would be displaced, and whether the bill should instead remain with the Department of Revenue Administration. One member noted that the fiscal note anticipated the need for additional auditors and significant staffing costs. The committee also reviewed SB 580, described as a school cooperative purchasing program bill that also contains policy provisions for charter school trustees, school board members, and receivership-related language tied to Claremont. The chair said the committee had previously heard comments from Charlie Arlinghouse on the cooperative purchasing portion and would use a side-by-side comparison prepared by staff when it reached that bill. Other bills on the docket were briefly described but not taken up that day: SB 491, which has committee-requested amendments and a separate non-germane amendment related to curriculum frameworks and academic standards; SB 513, an owner’s project manager bill held as a possible vehicle for future non-germane language; and SB 531, concerning a cosmetology program in Coös County and a possible task force. The chair said the committee would not address 491, 513, or 531 that day and would return to 580 and 586.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you've heard the sounds of sin's great cost, listen close to what you've heard.
• the sounds of sin's great<00:03:52.560><c> cost,</c><00:03:53.720><c> listen</c><00:03:54.120><c> close
• ><00:03:55.040><c> to</c><00:03:55.160><c> what</c><00:03:55.320><c> you've</c> great cost, listen close
• to what you've great cost, listen close to what you've heard. heard. heard.
• , Vermont would be rejoining the Interstate Compact for Education, which establishes and maintains close

Keywords: 926, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, so maybe going forward we can explore closing that loophole so that if um a resident of any one of
• that loophole so that if um a closing that loophole so that if um a resident<00:32:39.360><c> of</c>
• So, as I close my remarks, I want to highlight the state of Black history today. It is vulnerable.
• Uh, from the Yunshai Primary School in Hobi Province, China, led by their principal, Principal Yu, and
• Uh from the Yunshai Primary<01:25:00.880><c> School</c><01:25:01.199><c> in</c><01:25:01.440><c> Hobi

Keywords: House streaming session for Thursday, February 19, 2026, 957, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• One of the primary issues we have is, for example, we have a mom who lives up in Claremont, and she takes
• together a quorum one of the primary issues<00:26:11.399><c> we</c><00:26:11.600><c> have</c><00:26:
• Seeing none, that'll close the public hearing. Thank you.
• And it closes that gap with what a lot of people would consider child erotica, so material that doesn't
• that Gap with um what a lot of closes that Gap with um what a lot of people<00:49:42.319><c> would</

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• smarter than the state agencies, or were systemic weaknesses in our program integrity process the primary
• Systemic weaknesses in our program, integrity process, the primary cause.
• Judge, may I try to get particularly close?
• So it didn't cover any of the programs that were then and are now on ACCESS, which is all in close, all
• So it didn't cover any of the programs that were then and are now on ACCESS, which is all in close, all

Committee: House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The clerk will close the roll.
• Any closing,<00:48:42.319><c> Madam</c><00:48:42.480><c> Speaker?
• </c><00:48:43.119><c> Point</c><00:48:43.680><c> Mason</c> closing, Madam Speaker?
• Point Mason closing, Madam Speaker? Point Mason section<00:48:44.640><c> 101.
• The clerk will close the roll. There being 70 ayes and 63 nays, the motion does not prevail.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Rogers, who's back here, said last year, we're really close.
• So what we did was we're really close.
• We are closing the hearing. >> Huh? >> No, that we need an amendment. >> Oh.
• For example, the primary risk is transient adverse effects, particularly psychological ones.
• With that, I'll close the hearing.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The general fund is a district's primary operating fund for financial reporting purposes.
• I mean, how can you close out a fiscal year with a negative balance? Mr.
• What I had inherited was the look at closing two schools, but rather than closing two schools and disrupting
• The district obtained the funding because they're about ready to close.
• So I stand corrected there, but I was pretty close.

Committee: Joint Joint Legislative Audit Committee

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The primary economic benefits of New Mexico State Parks that we analyzed are visitor spending and the
• In closing, I'm proud to be part of our state park system.
• Which would provide close to 30 megawatts total.
• It's not even close.
• It's not even close, which is going to prevail in coming years.

Committee: House Water & Natural Resources Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Hearing none, the debate is closed, and hearing no negative debate, the question is on House Bill 515
• Hearing none, hearing no negative debate, the debate is closed.
• Hearing none, no negative debate, the debate is closed.
• Hearing none, no negative debate, the debate is closed.
• Hearing none, hearing no negative debate, the motion closes.

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think they're close to the same.
• I think they're close to the same.
• I didn't walk to school five miles uphill both ways, but it was pretty close.
• I guess our primary point is that there's a lot to be decided still from the federal government.
• The Committee on Legislative Review on House Joint Resolution 154 is now closed.

Committee: House Legislative Review

Keywords: 959, house, all